


The Kids Are Alright (Now)

by Marmeladeskies



Series: The Kids Are Alright (Now)-Series [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cuteness overload, Don't Judge Me, F/M, Family, Fluff, Growing Up Together, Kidau, M/M, Multi, Past Child Abuse, all of these characters deserve some happiness, andreil will get together eventually, but like... slow burn, child development, i mean they're tiny at first, kid!AU, let's just accept that I'm a lazy bitch of an author and move on, listen guys I know adoption doesn't work that way, mentions of child abuse, neil lives with Stuart, one-shot like chapters, rating for swear words and backstories, they're little kids, tw: child abuse (mentioned), written for a friend, yes i know the parents have funny names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-05-24 03:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14946666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marmeladeskies/pseuds/Marmeladeskies
Summary: When they're two years old, Aaron and Andrew are adopted together- and it changes the course of their fate drastically.A story about scars, healing, dogs, and the little boy with the auburn curls who just moved in next door.





	1. Prologue.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BakaDoll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakaDoll/gifts).



> Woooo boy! Finally!  
> This AU is so dear to my heart, especially because it reminds me of one very special person in my life ♥ Vivi, this fic is dedicated to you, isch lieb disch
> 
> For everyone else: thank you for all your support on tumblr, and I hope the fic lives up to your expectations. If you want to support me, you can [follow and talk to me on tumblr](http://marmelade-sky.tumblr.com/) !!! I'd love to see you there ♥
> 
> disclaimer: the twins'adoptive parents are OCs. I know not everyone likes that, but I hope you can accept them! (also, hc that they're swedish, so that's what's up with the names). Also, I kept the last name because I think it's nice.

The twins had been described as difficult and problematic.  
How two 2-year-old toddlers could be either of those adjectives had been beyond Elsa Minyard’s understanding back then, and it still was. 

“The mother used drugs and smoked.”, the nurse at the home had said, “presumably during pregnancy. And she was involved with her brother’s religious sect as well. Not a good environment for children to grow up in. Their older cousin’s in the system as well. Sweet boy. Very shy.”  
It hadn’t escaped Elsa how the caretaker’s expression had changed while talking about the other child. 

“He’s been adopted already. The parents live near you, that’s why we picked you. The children should stay together, they seem to have formed a… strong bond. Ready to meet them?” 

Elsa had squeezed her husband Oskar’s hand.  
“Yes.”

-

The road had been rocky at first. The twins had been wary of adults, seemingly unattached to anyone or anything but each other. They could never be separate. Either of them became aggressive when the other was out of sight. It had taken one sleepless night for Oskar to get out the hardware tools and make one nursery bed out of two.  
The first few weeks and months had been a series of words like “underdeveloped”, “malnourished”, “dyssocial behaviour” and “attachment issues”.  
Elsa stood by the crib, watching the boys sleep for countless nights, her mind going in circles. They looked so peaceful, huddled together under one blanket, sharing one pillow, tiny arms curled under tiny heads with identical shocks of blond hair.  
They were neither difficult nor problematic.  
They were her children. 

Other people liked giving ‘well-meaning’ advice, such as “don’t cook special meals for them! No child has starved him- or herself willingly yet!” or “you should really force them to talk more. They barely talk! That can’t be normal!” or “don’t you think you should have them tested?”. Elsa and Oskar grew to despise those people. None of them knew their children. Elsa and Oskar, however, were slowly starting to learn, slowly getting to know them.  
Andrew hated vegetables, to the point of throwing them across the table. Fruit was alright. Pancakes were preferred. Aaron would eat anything, including the soil in the plant pots.  
Neither of the twins cried much, especially not when hurt. Neither of them talked much, but they seemed to have their own language of sorts. They did, however, know a surprisingly wide array of words when needed.  
They were fascinated by animals, and scared by loud noises. They were wary of men and women alike (Nicholas’ parents had told them Nicky was mostly afraid of men) and only very carefully interested in other children.  
They disliked being hugged when they didn’t seek out the hug themselves.  
They needed to hold hands with each other when they went to bed, were in the car or whenever one of them was in distress.  
Elsa and Oskar also learned that the twins were smart children, that they were creative and energetic and that they were slowly opening up as their parents gave them time. 

-

“Ellie.” 

Elsa startled at the small voice behind her, then whirled around. Aaron stood behind her, blinking up at her with tear wet eyes.  
Immediately Elsa dropped to her knees in front of the toddler.  
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”, she cooed, and held out her hands for him, offering a hug or any sort of comfort. Aaron used his small hand to grab one of her index fingers and pull. 

“Drew.”, he simply replied, but there was an urgency in his voice which made Elsa’s stomach churn immediately. Aaron pulled on her finger, repeating “Drew!”. Elsa scrambled to her feet, letting the boy pull her out of the kitchen, towards the living room.  
All the doors were open. Elsa had been doing the dishes in the kitchen while the boys were playing on the carpet, and even though she had made sure to check on them, she hadn’t heard anything concerning. 

However, when she entered through the open door, she startled and her stomach dropped. 

Andrew sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, a metal toy car in hand, and was slowly dragging it up and down his arm. He must have been doing that for some time, because the skin was deeply red and thin lines of blood were welling up on it. 

“Andrew!” Elsa rushed to his side and wrestled the toy car out of his hands; Andrew looked up at her, his expression unfazed.  
“Andrew, oh, gosh!” She wanted to grab his arm and pull to look at it but Andrew would hate that, she knew. A desperate sort of helplessness surged through her as she put down the toy car.

“C-can I see, please?” As she said it, she stuck her hand out towards him- and Andrew flinched. Elsa quickly pulled her hands into her lap.

Andrew moved slowly, like a distrusting animal, holding out his arm. The cuts weren’t too deep. Elsa took a deep breath.

“What happened?”, she asked softly. 

Behind her, there was a muffled sniffle. Aaron peeked around her tentatively. 

“Hurt Aaron.”

Elsa swivelled back around. “Hurt? What happened?” 

Aaron’s sniffles became more audible, deeper. “Hush, Drew.” 

“Fell.”, Andrew replied, and didn’t look at Elsa.

“No!”, Aaron whined and toddled forward, reaching out for Andrew helplessly. Elsa knew he was scared and overwhelmed. She was, too. 

“Pushed him.” 

Oh.  
Elsa’s stomach ache came back, but now clenching so hard that it started really hurting. That was why Andrew was... punishing himself. Because he was used to being punished with violence.  
Now Aaron started wailing, and threw himself between Elsa and Andrew, and Elsa’s heart wrenched in her chest. _Fuck_ , she thought. _Fuck._  
She held her hands up carefully. Her brain ran on overdrive, repeating _What do they need, what do they need, what do they need._

“Did you push him on purpose?”

While Aaron was crying helplessly, Andrew seemed calm, too calm for the situation. “No.” 

“Well, it was an accident then. You could say sorry.” 

Andrew blinked. Aaron inhaled sharply, and then gave her a startled look. 

“Say ‘I am sorry for pushing you, Aaron.’ “, Elsa suggested, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. 

Both of the twins were quiet for a moment. 

Then, Andrew slowly repeated, “‘m sorry for pushin’ you.”  
Aaron seemed to be deeply confused. He looked to Andrew, then to Elsa, then back to Andrew.

“And now Aaron can say ‘I accept your apology.’ and then you’re good.”

Aaron blinked once again, looking down at his brother. “...I ‘cept your a-...polgy.” 

He looked for Elsa’s approval, and she gave him, then Andrew, a beaming smile which she had to conjure up from deep inside her. 

“See?”, she said, and her voice sounded much cheerier than she felt right now. “Now it’s all good again. Well done for apologizing, Andrew, and well done for accepting the apology, Aaron. Do you want to have a band-aid for your arm, Andrew?” 

-

Her hand was still trembling when she put the dragon-patterned band-aid on Andrew’s arm a few minutes later. 

-

Later, after putting the twins to bed, she cried, and then Oskar and her searched the web for early childhood psychologists.


	2. New Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new moves in next door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the kudos, your kind comments and everything you do ♥ If you want to talk to me, ask questions or support me in different ways, you can head over to my [Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com)  
> I know the fic started out a little angsty, but I promise, it's gonna be mostly fluff from now on.  
> I plan on updating every weekend, probably on saturdays. If you wanna make sure to never miss an update, you can subscribe to the fic. 
> 
> Today, we're meeting the new neighbours ;) enjoy

“Mommy! Mommy!” 

Every time Elsa hears one of the twins say “the M-word” as her and Oskar have dubbed it, her heart warms a little. The twins didn’t start calling her Mom or Mommy until recently. They’ve been a family for a year now, and things are slowly settling in. It’s still hard, sometimes, but it gets better every day. Elsa makes sure to always reply to her children’s needs as immediately as she can, especially when the calls come this excitedly. 

“Yes?”, she calls back, wiping her hands on a rag next to her; she’s been repotting plants all morning. 

“Come look!” 

So Elsa gets up. She finds the twins in the living room, both of them standing on the couch and peeking over the backrest, out of the window. Outside, a truck has parked in the driveway next to theirs. The logo of a moving company makes it rather obvious why. 

“Truck!” Andrew points at it in excitement. Everything with an engine is fascinating to him. 

“Yeah, that’s a moving truck. Someone’s furniture is in there.” Elsa goes to kneel on the couch between the twins. Aaron turns around to furrow his eyebrows at her in confusion, while Andrew quietly repeats the word “Truck.”. 

“Why?”, Aaron asks. That’s his favourite word right now. Why. 

“Someone is moving into the house next to us.”, Elsa explains. “They want to live there. Do you remember Mister and Misses Hernandez?”  
Aaron nods. Andrew, not turning around, does as well. 

“Well, they moved into a home for old people, and so, new people can move into this house. They bought it from Mister and Misses Hernandez.”, Elsa explains. She’s well aware that both twins follow her completely; they’ve never had problems grasping explanations like this. 

Now, all three of them watch as the truck comes to a parking position. 

“What are you three doing?” Oskar startles them a little as he comes into the living room as well, a cup of coffee in his hands, smiling. Elsa smiles back at him and gently nudges Andrew. 

“Do you want to tell Daddy what we’re doing?”, she asks.

“No.”, Andrew replies, still staring at the truck. 

“Alright. Aaron, do you want-”

Aaron answers before Elsa can finish. “A moving truck!”

Elsa laughs softly as Oskar steps behind her, placing his mug on the coffee table and putting a hand on her shoulder to see for himself. “Oh!”, he exclaims after a moment, “are we getting new neighbours?” 

“Looks like it.”, Elsa replies. 

“Truck, truck, truck.”, Andrew quietly sing-songs, leaning forward so far on the backrest of the couch that Oskar already reaches out for him, ready to catch him if he threatens to fall. 

“How nice. Maybe they have children you can play wi-”

The roar of the Porsche whipping around the corner of the end of the street is loud enough to be heard clearly, even through their window. 

“...or maybe not.”, Elsa finishes Oskar’s sentence. 

He chuckles behind her.  
Andrew’s eyes have grown as big as saucers. 

“Andrew, do you know what kind of car that is?”, Oskar asks conversationally. 

“Porsche!”, Andrew immediately replies. Elsa shoots her husband a grin and an eyeroll which he answers with a proud smirk of his own. 

“That’s right, Andrew, good job.” 

The black sports car stops short at the curb.  
The Minyards watch as a handsome man climbs out of it, looking sleek and elegant even though he’s wearing casual jeans and a pullover. He looks entirely too fancy for their suburbia neighbourhood.  
Elsa half-turns to shoot Oskar a Look. This man doesn’t look like someone who’d enjoy living next to a family with two children. 

That is, until he walks around the car and leans down, opening the passenger door. They can’t see why until he stands upright again.  
Elsa lets out a delighted “Oh!” when the man emerges with a little boy in his arms. The kid must be around the twins’ age, has auburn hair that sticks out in every direction, and is looking around blearily, a paci in his mouth and a stuffed bunny clutched in his arms. He probably slept in the car. 

“Oh look! They’ve got a kid!”, Oskar says, equally as delighted as his wife. The twins haven’t made many friends yet. They’re not going to kindergarten yet, and even though the Minyards meet up with Nicky’s parents, the Da Silvas, regularly for play dates, the twins don’t have as much contact with other children as Elsa and Oskar would like.  
The twins don’t reply. They watch curiously as the handsome man carries the little boy past the moving van. 

“We can go say hello later if you want.”, Elsa suggests. 

The man stands next to the driver of the truck who has emerged by now, talking to him as the boy leans his head against the man’s shoulder. This way, he can look right across both of their front yards and right into their window. It doesn’t take long until he spots them. 

“He’s looking at us!”, Aaron declares, squaring his little shoulders. 

“He is. You can wave at him if you want.” 

“Nuh-uh.” Aaron shakes his head furiously. Then he turns around on the couch and climbs down from it. Andrew stays, and to both his parents’ wonder, he very slowly lifts his hand, waving. 

Elsa, out of Andrew’s line of sight, briefly clutches at her chest, stifling a little happy sigh. Oskar’s hand squeezes her shoulder a little harder, and he laughs softly. 

“Good job, buddy. That was very nice of you.”

The auburn-haired toddler keeps staring right at Andrew for a long moment before he lifts his own pudgy little hand to wave back. 

-

They don’t go over until the next morning. 

The twins helped Oskar bake cupcakes the afternoon before, and now all four of them are standing on the front steps of their new neighbours’ house. Andrew is dutifully holding the tray with the cupcakes, eyeing them as if he’s going to run off with them any minute. Elsa hasn’t yet told him that there’s one waiting for him in the fridge back home. Aaron gets to ring the doorbell, and then they wait. 

It doesn’t take long until the handsome man answers the door, looking a bit surprised as his eyes wander over four blond-haired people on his doorstep, before he breaks into a tentative and polite smile that makes him even more handsome.  
Elsa remembers to stick out her hand on time before it gets awkward. “Hello, we’re the Minyards, I’m Elsa, that’s my husband Oskar and that’s Andrew and Aaron, we live next door. We saw you just moved in and… wanted to say hello. We brought cupcakes.”  
On cue, Andrew holds up the tray dutifully, responsible guardian of the baked goods.  
The man immediately grabs Elsa’s hand, and then Oskar’s. 

“Well, thank you! Nice to meet you. I’m Stuart.” He has a very smooth voice and a rather pronounced british accent. He leans down to the boys, greeting them as well. They both look at him with an identically sceptical expression. “Did you bake those?”, he asks in a friendly tone. The twins both nod. 

“You talk funny.”, Aaron declares. 

“Well.”, Stuart gives the little boy a lopsided grin, “...that’s because I’m from a country called Great Britain.”  
Aaron narrows his eyes, not fully convinced such a country exists. 

Andrew, who’s obviously had enough, hands the cupcakes to Stuart, who takes them with more thanks. 

“Where’s the boy?”  
It’s rare that Andrew talks this much to a stranger, and even rarer that he asks a question. Elsa gently put a hand on his shoulder. 

“The boy? Oh, you mean Neil, don’t you?” Stuart stands upright, the cupcakes in his hands, smiling down at the boys. “You know what? You can come in and we can have those cupcakes and some tea or coffee and you can meet Neil.” He glances up at Elsa and Oskar, “...provided mum and dad’ve got some time to spare.” 

Oskar is about to decline out of politeness, but Andrew turns around to him, looking up with an entirely new expression, and Oskar finds himself saying: “That’s very nice, thank you. We’ll have a quick cup, if you’ll have us.” 

Stuart, with a friendly and welcoming gesture, leads them inside. The house is bigger than their own. 

“Is it just you two or…?”, Elsa asks, not able to keep her curiosity at bay. This house could probably house a whole patchwork family. 

“Yes, just me and Neil.”, Stuart replies, his cocked eyebrow and easy smirk signalling that he fully understood the reasons for her curious question.

The twins look around with interest. Elsa is glad they’re not touching anything yet. 

“We don’t have much furniture yet.” Stuart flashes Elsa and Oskar an apologetic smile, “But the essentials have already been unpacked.” He nudges a stuffed bunny that lies on the doorstep between the hallway and kitchen. 

The Minyards follow him into a wide, and very white kitchen with an enormous coffeemaker on the center counter. 

“The essentials, huh?”, Oskar grins. 

Stuart shrugs with another gorgeous smirk. “Well, yeah.” 

“Where is the boy?”, Andrew interrupts them, repeating his question. 

“Andrew…”, Elsa scolds softly, “maybe he’s napping.” It’s prime napping time after all. Not that either of the twins would care. 

Stuart scoffs. “No, I’m quite sure he’s not napping. He’s just a bit shy.” He raises his voice a little, just barely.  
“Neil, we have visitors.” 

Nothing.

“Neil.”, Stuart repeats, “...it’s the boys from next door and their parents. Would you like to meet them?”  
Elsa notes how Stuart speaks like he would to a grown-up.  
There’s a brief commotion in the living room, and then, the slow pitter-patter of little feet on the polished hardwood floor.  
Elsa tries not to squeal when the little boy pokes his head from around the corner. His auburn hair looks just as wild as it did yesterday, and his bright blue eyes are huge as they go from Stuart to the twins. 

“Come on, Neil. You could show Andrew and Aaron your toys.”, Stuart suggests. 

Aaron, eyeing the other child skeptically, slowly puts his hand on Elsa’s thigh for safety and reassurance. Andrew, however, doesn’t move, and the two toddlers are soon engaged in the tiny version of a stare-down. 

Stuart chuckles softly. “Neil, would you like to say hello?”  
Neil shakes his head.  
Elsa slowly crouches.  
This behaviour is something she knows too well from her own children; not trusting anyone new. 

“Hello, Neil, nice to meet you.”, she says softly, speaking directly to the boy. “My name is Elsa, this is my husband Oskar, this is Andrew and that’s Aaron. We live next door.” 

Neil looks at her for a split-second before looking away again. 

“Andrew and Aaron wanted to say hello. And we brought cupcakes.” 

Neil does not look convinced. He slowly twirls his upper body from left to right, eyes on the floor now. 

“Your daddy invited us in for tea. Is that okay?”

Now, finally, Neil looks up and at her. “Stuart’s not my daddy.”, he says, and his little voice is surprisingly firm. 

Oh. A little awkwardly, Elsa glances up to Stuart who nods once. “...I’m Neil’s uncle and his guardian.” 

Before Elsa can say anything, Andrew speaks up.  
“We’re adopted. Our first mommy didn’t want us.”

Elsa cringes, even though she tries not to. She knows Oskar does, too.  
They’ve always been open about the adoption, they never pretended to be the twins’ biological parents. But hearing Andrew say it like this, that their mother didn’t want them, hurts her heart.  
Neil, however, cocks his head in interest now. 

“My mommy’s in pwison.” Neil stumbles over the R in the word.

Behind Elsa, Stuart lets out a little noise somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. “Alright, kids, how about we stop it with the personal details and have some hot drinks instead?” 

“Yep, that sounds good.”, Oskar quickly agrees. Elsa stands up from her crouching position, awkwardly wiping her hands on her jeans. Aaron on the floor makes grabby hands for her, wanting to be lifted up. 

Elsa picks him up. He’s become quite heavy. 

“So, uh. Coffee? Tea?” Stuart, too, seems a bit awkward after those confessions. 

-

That night, when Oskar tucks the boys into bed, Andrew actually talks to him. They do this thing where Oskar asks them about their day, even if he knows what they’ve been up to. More often than not, Oskar has to help them with the right questions so they remember, but not today. 

“What did you do today, Andrew?”

“Went to Neil’s house.”  
Andrew clutches his teddy bear to his chest, the toy’s head pressed against his chin. Aaron next to him is already drifting off into sleep, arms tightly wrapped around his stuffed lion, glow-in-the-dark paci in his mouth. They’ve got “big boy beds” now, and there’s two, but they still prefer sharing one. 

“Did you like going to Neil’s house?”

“Uh-huh.” Andrew nods. His eyelids are drooping a little, his blinking is becoming slower. 

Oskar gently wipes a stray strand of hair out of Andrew’s eyes. “Did you have fun playing with Neil?”

“Yes…” Andrew shifts a little, grabbing Oskar’s wrist with his free hand and putting it against his cheek. 

Oskar smiles. Moments like these make his heart go all soft. I’ll never let anyone hurt you., he thinks and caresses Andrew’s pudgy cheek with his thumb.  
He’s about to say good night, when Andrew speaks up again. “Neil is my friend now.”, he declares before grabbing his paci and putting it into his mouth. 

“That’s nice, Andrew.”, Oskar smiles. “Friends are a good thing to have.”

Andrew nods once. His eyes droop shut and stay that way for several seconds, his breathing evening out. 

Bed time.  
“Good night, squirt.” Oskar leans forward and presses a kiss to Andrew’s head, then to Aaron’s. Aaron stirs in his sleep, rolling over and snuggling against his brother.  
Oskar takes a moment to look at them before he turns off the light. Two blond shocks of hair, two little noses that barely peek out from under the covers. Two little boys who have stolen their parents’ hearts.

He switches on the galaxy night light and leaves the room on his tip-toes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave kudos or a comment to make a writer happy? :)


	3. Dirty Paws and Furry Coat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, guys, I didn't expect this to blow up like it did. Thank you so much! Enjoy this new chapter :)

Elsa holds the pamphlet in her hands, staring down at it.

“Friends For Life - The benefit of pets for children” it says.

“I know, a pet sounds like a lot of responsibility.”, Dr Dobson explains in her soft, soothing voice. “But I really think both boys might benefit from having an animal in the household.”  
It’s not like Elsa hasn’t been toying with the idea before. She used to own a cat when she was little, a fat little orange tabby named Fireball. 

“What kind of pet would you recommend?”

“Well.” Dr Dobson stirs her hot chocolate while she chooses her words. Elsa likes that about her. She always seems to choose her words before speaking. “A dog might be a good option. They come in many different shapes and sizes, and dogs interact more than, say, cats. Besides, dogs promote both social interaction and speech development.”  
Elsa hums. 

“You can talk it over with your husband. I know, a pet isn’t a decision to make lightly. Call me if you need further information.”

“Thank you.” Elsa gives her a smile. 

-

In the end, it’s not really a hard decision. Of course the boys get a dog. 

“Maybe a labrador, or a golden retriever…”, Elsa muses as they pull into the driveway of the animal shelter. 

“Or, like, a smaller breed.”, suggests Oskar, “What about a poodle? Or one of those bulldogs with the flat noses?” 

The boys are attentive in the backseat, looking out of the window in excitement while their parents talk. 

“Daddy is this where our dog is?” Aaron points towards the flat building that houses the kennels. 

“There’s dogs in there, yes. But, boys, we’re just looking today, okay? It’s possible that we don’t find a dog that’s right for us today.” 

The boys are quiet for a moment, and then Aaron says: “I think our dog is in there.”

Elsa chuckles to herself. Her boys, so determined. 

 

The moment they enter the shelter and the barking is audible, Aaron gets a little scared. Oskar lifts him into his arms. “You wanna go up, too?”, Elsa asks Andrew. Andrew shakes his head but reaches for her hand. 

Alright. 

The clerk, a young woman with a strawberry blond ponytail, welcomes them with a broad smile. 

“We’re looking for a family dog.”, Elsa explains as the woman leads them to the kennels. 

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll find a dog that fits right in.”, the woman smiles as she unlocks the door. 

The loud barking makes both twins startle a little. Aaron’s hand curls into Oskar’s shirt and Andrew’s grip around Elsa’s hand tightens a little. 

“We were thinking, maybe a lab or something? Not too big?” Elsa lets her eyes wander over all the kennels. Some of the dogs stand by the doors, barking, some of them are curled up in a corner, some pace around restlessly. It reminds her uncomfortably of the home Andrew and Aaron used to live at before they were adopted.  
The woman nods with a smile and then kneels so she’s at eye-level with Andrew. “You can go around and look at all the dogs, okay? But no touching, that’s important. Some of them don’t like to be touched.”  
Andrew nods. That, he understands. Then he slowly lets go of Elsa’s hand. Oskar wants to put Aaron down as well, but the moment he starts lowering him towards the ground, Aaron starts crying, overwhelmed by the noise.  
As Andrew wanders up and down the aisle between the rows of kennels, the clerk shows possible adoptees to Oskar and Elsa. 

“...and this is Polly, she’s a pom-”

“Mommy.”

Andrew stands at the end of the aisle, pointing at a kennel. 

“Yes, Andrew?”, Elsa asks.

Andrew just stands there, waiting, still pointing. 

“Did you find a dog you like?”  
Andrew nods. 

Elsa shrugs and gives the clerk an apologetic smile.

What she sees in the kennel when she steps next to Andrew and crouches down isn’t what she’s expected: a young dog, almost a puppy still, charcoal fur, startling blue eyes, and a white paws that make it looks like it’s wearing socks. 

The dog is neither pressed against the opposite wall nor is it wagging its tail by the door to get attention. It just stands by the side wall, looking out to them carefully.  
The clerk, who has followed them, hums softly. “This is one of our newest additions… she’s a little shy.”

Andrew steps closer to the plexiglass, carefully pressing his hands to it. The dog takes a tentative step in his direction. 

“She’s sweet, but she might not be the right choice for a family like you…”, the clerk explains carefully. “She’s a Pitbull.”  
Elsa has heard about this breed. Pitbulls were used for dog fights in the past and still suffer from a bad reputation. 

“Is she aggressive?”, Oskar asks. 

The clerk shakes her head. “No, no. We think she’s been abused by her last owner, and so she doesn’t trust people yet.”  
Elsa looks up to her husband, meeting his eyes. Sounds familiar., she thinks. 

“How old is she?”

“She’s 10 months, been here for 2.” 

“Two months?!” 

The clerk shrugs. “Pitbulls are unfortunately still rarely adopted… and dogs with a dark coloring like hers have it even harder, even when they’re puppies.”

Now Andrew looks up. His little eyebrows furrow at the clerk. Elsa reaches out and gently puts her hand on his back.  
She takes a moment to think. 

“...could we get to know her?”

The clerk cocks one eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, we’re sure.”, Elsa replies a little more firmly. 

“Maybe not everyone at once.”, the clerk tells them as she unlocks the door to the kennel a moment later. 

“Come on, buddy.” Elsa holds her hand out to Andrew. He takes it, and together, they follow the clerk into the kennel. 

“I’ll just tell you right away that she’s not a cuddly dog, she’s pretty private.”, the clerk explains as she slowly sits down in the middle of the kennel. Andrew and Elsa follow suit while Oskar and Aaron watch from outside.  
The dog starts to slowly wag her tail, carefully coming closer to the young woman who holds out her hand. The dog sniffs it, and then gently headbutts it. 

“Does she have a name?”, Elsa asks. The clerk shakes her head. 

“No, she came without one. And she didn’t respond to any of the names we tried out, so we mostly call her Jane, as in Jane Doe. But, as I said, she doesn’t really respond to it.” 

Elsa hums. 

Andrew sits on the floor, eyes trained on the dog, who has spotted the two new people in her kennel by now.  
Slowly, carefully, she creeps forward, curiously sniffing at Elsa. Elsa holds still so she doesn’t startle her.  
She notices the thick scar on the dog’s neck, and its cropped ears. No wonder the dog is careful around people. 

“She’s neutered.”, the clerk explains. Elsa can’t help but notice the skepticism in her voice whenever she tells them facts about the dog. 

“You don’t seem too convinced.”, she tells her straight up. The clerk blushes a little at Elsa’s direct words, and shrugs. 

“She’s a… difficult dog. She might become problematic in the future; dogs with backstories like hers tend to get aggressive or very defensive if handled wrong. I don’t think she’s a good dog to have around with two small children in the household, especially for someone who doesn’t really have experience with dogs.”

Elsa is about to reply that she’s got her fair share of experience with little creatures that have been called “difficult” and “problematic”, when Andrew interrupts her.  
“Mommy, look.” 

Elsa, who has turned halfway towards the clerk while speaking to her, turns back around.  
Her heart almost leaps out of her chest.  
Andrew sits cross legged, and the dog is lying in front of him, her head in his lap. Andrew’s hands rest left and right to her ears, not touching her. 

When he looks up at Elsa, she knows. 

-

Elsa and Oskar decided beforehand that the boys get to name the dog.  
Turns out, children who are four years old and enjoy cars a lot have some interesting ideas about dog names. 

-

 

“You named your dog Monstertruck Hotwheels?!” Stuart leans down over the fence, carefully petting the dog’s head. 

Oskar lets out a pained “Yup.”

Stuart snorts. “I love it. Has a certain ring to it.” 

“Eh. Elsie calls her “Monster” already.”, Oskar replies, leaning down to pull a weed out of the lawn. 

Stuart snorts. “The nicest monster ever.” 

Monstertruck, pressed to the fence between their backyards, tongue lolling out of her maw, turns her head up to Stuart and gives him a big puppy smile.  
After they’ve adopted her, it’s only taken her some days to get used to the new environment, her new home and her new family, but she’s adapting well. As it turns out, she responds far better to pets, belly rubs, soft nicknames and treats than to being locked in a kennel all day.  
And it also turns out that getting her was the best thing they could have done for the twins, mostly for Andrew. 

“Andrew and her are becoming inseparable.” Oskar scratches Monster’s ear and she leans heavily against his leg. “He talks to her, much more than to anyone else.” A soft smile pulls at the corners of Oskar’s mouth. 

“That’s great.”, Stuart replies. “..I wish I could get Neil a pet, but I’m allergic to pretty much everything that’s got fur.” As he says it, he discreetly wipes the hand he’s been petting Monster with on his slacks. 

“Neil can always come over and visit Monstertruck. And Andrew, of course. I bet they’d both be happy.”

The last few weeks, Neil and Andrew have been warming up to each other. At first after the initial meeting, it was showing each other their toys through the fence, then, a ball that accidentally got tossed over and into the Hatfords' backyard. By now, they’ve moved on to chalk-coloring the front yards together. 

“Yeah, I bet they would.”

-

Monster sleeps on the carpet in front of the twins’ bed (they’re still sharing most nights). 

When Andrew and Aaron play, she sits by and watches them, occasionally getting involved (Monster Destroys Lego City is a very popular game right now). 

Elsa and Oskar watch Andrew “read” his picture books to her, both of them on the floor, his head on her belly. They watch Aaron daring to go on the swingset on the playground on his own, even though there’s other kids, because Monster is watching him, wagging her tail and yipping in excitement when he waves at her (and Elsa) from the swing. They watch how Andrew lets her lick his hand and his arms and presses his face into her fur, and how Aaron holds on to her collar instead of reaching out for Elsa as soon as he’s in distress.

Monster comes with them to therapy, and the pediatrician’s office and to bath time, she helps look for Andrew’s lost Teddy Bear and finds Neil’s paci that he dropped in the backyard weeks ago. 

Of course they get stares again whenever they’re out with her. Monster can look quite intimidating when she’s watching over the twins, and a white, seemingly picture book middle class family with a pitbull probably doesn’t fit into any of the boxes people keep in their heads. 

 

But they don’t mind, because the people who matter are all in love with the nicest Monster in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment to make a writer happy? :)
> 
> If you're looking for other ways to support me, you can visit my [Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com) ♥


	4. Soft Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Wow, it's saturday again already, I can't believe how fast the time goes by :)   
> Thank you again for all of your support and the lovely comments on this fic, and your asks on my tumblr. Please always feel free to come talk to me there! 
> 
> If you'd like to scream to me about the twins, need someone to talk or are looking for other ways to support me, you can head over to my **[Tumblr](http://marmelade-sky.tumblr.com) ** ♥

Neil can’t pronounce “r” and it’s the cutest thing ever. 

Stuart knows he should probably go to a doctor of some kind and get the poor kid some speech therapy so he doesn’t get stuck with a lisp, but when Neil says “Monsta-twuck” or “twee” or “Andwew” (it soon becomes “Dwew”), Stuart can’t help but grin everytime.   
He feels a little bad about making fun of his poor, adorable nephew, right until he accidentally asks Neil: “Do you want something to dwink, Neil?” in line at the supermarket and only notices his mistake when the young girl in front of him in line chuckles and gives him an amused smile. So much about being a DILF.  
Sometimes, Stuart still can’t believe he’s got Neil now, that Neil lives with him and that he’s Neil’s legal guardian.   
Mary is in prison, and she will most likely stay there until the end of her life. Stuart feels sorry for her, of course, she is his sister after all. He does not, however, feel sorry for her late asshole of a husband, Nathan “the Butcher” Wesninski, who deserved every bullet fired into his pathetic head. Whatever. The aftermath of the whole shitshow is Neil; precious, adorable Neil. 

Stuart never wanted children. He always used to think that he would never have to bother, because when he had sex with women, he always used condoms. And on top of that, he’s never felt the need or the wish to settle down, ever. Having a child used to sound boring, like mornings being woken by crying before dawn, like having to wipe up someone else’s body fluids, like not being able to just go out and bring home people for one night stands. 

And frankly, it is. 

But Stuart did not expect the feelings that play into this, the commitment. 

Yes, the crying after a nightmare is exhausting and loud, but as he holds Neil in his arms and rocks him and hums to him, it’s exhausting because he knows Neil is distressed and Stuart can’t do much about it but hold him. 

Yes, it’s not the sexiest thing in the world to stand in the middle of his 45k dollar living room with a tissue that’s dripping green snot in his hand, but that’s still better than poor Neil having to deal with that stuff on his face (and consecutively wiping it on the sofa). 

Yes, Stuart sometimes misses the freedom of being able to go out and bring someone home with him to fuck them all night, but ultimately, he knows he’ll be able to do that again, one day, when Neil is a little older and can stay overnight at the Minyards’ house, maybe. 

What Stuart also did not expect was how soft his heart is getting.   
He’s a hardened crime lord after all, raised in the british underground, the heir of an empire (of course, none of that business can be tracked to him, and he is working from home now, so to speak, and in the States, but still). And now, this deadly mob boss spends his afternoons building Lego in the living room and listening to endless repeats of the same children’s song while he drives his nephew to his swimming lessons, where he stands by the edge of the pool, watching Neil paddle around in the shallow water with his teacher, feeling a spark of fierce pride bloom in his chest. 

And when Neil curls into him at night, his little hand wrapping around Stuart’s finger, pulling his hand close, paci bouncing up and down as he slowly falls asleep in Stuart’s arms, Stuart feels his heart ache with love for his little nephew.

 

The nightmares don’t go away for a long time. 

Stuart spends countless late nights and early mornings with Neil in his arm, wrapped in the softest blanket, Mister Bunny in his hands, head leaned against Stuart’s shoulder, sniffling and whining.   
Stuart reads books about childhood trauma. Neil sleeps in his bed most nights, but not even that helps.   
The Minyards come over for coffee on the weekends (most weekends, anyway), because Andrew is the only child Neil will play with and vice versa. Aaron likes to keep to himself, even though Neil and Andrew don’t exclude him actively. He clings to Elsa a lot.   
Stuart feels old and boring, but he has to admit that it’s nice having acquaintances who also have kids that don’t fit the norm.   
Too many times, people stare at him when Neil has crying fits in public, won’t let the well-meaning elderly lady pet his head or is dressed in a bunny onesie pyjama because that’s the softest item of clothing he has. 

“You know, we could give you Dr. Dobson’s number.”, Elsa remarks one day while the boys play with Neil’s toy trains, eyeing the dark bags under Stuart’s eyes. 

He doesn’t reply for a moment. A man like him does not have the biggest trust in doctors of any kind, much less a psychiatrist. 

“...she is very discreet.”, Elsa adds casually and sips her coffee. 

Stuart still doesn’t reply. Eventually, he very quietly says “...I haven’t had more than three hours of sleep in 4 days.”

Oskar squeezes his arm. “...it will help him.”

 

Being stubborn is stupid, and being stubborn when he knows it’s harming Neil is even more stupid, and so Stuart tries to push his own distrust of doctors aside and makes an appointment with Dr. Dobson. 

Neil is very sceptical at first, but she has Lego in her waiting room, pencils, water colors and a huge teddy bear. Also, they booked the appointment right after Andrew’s. When Neil sees him in the waiting room, his face lights up; he’s been scared, didn’t want to go, but when he sees Andrew come out of Dr. Dobson’s office, he looks surprised, and then relieved to see his friend. 

“Dwew!”

Neil jumps from his seat on Stuart’s lap and runs at Andrew. Andrew perks up, but Elsa must have told him about Neil being here, because he doesn’t look surprised.   
Neil stops right in front of him, close enough to hug him, but doesn’t. Andrew sometimes doesn’t like being touched, and Neil has caught on to that fairly quickly.  
Today, however, it seems like Andrew is okay with being touched by Neil because he takes a slow step closer to Neil.   
Stuart can see how most of the tension in Neil’s little face washes away when he clumsily reaches out for Andrew, putting his hands on Andrew’s arms, and mentally pats himself on the back for planning their appointment like this.   
Behind Andrew, Elsa steps out of the treatment room, Monster next to her on the leash, obediently by her side even though her tail starts slapping against Elsa’s leg rapidly when she spots Neil and Stuart. 

“Hello, Neil.”, Elsa greets him, and then nods to Stuart with an encouraging smile. 

Neil lets go off Andrew and looks up at her, looking more and more confused. 

Stuart clears his throat. “Hello Andrew, hello Elsa!”, he starts, with an exaggerated voice. Before he can go on, though, Neil adds, “Hello Monster-twuck!” which makes Elsa laugh. 

She loosens her hold on the dog’s leash a little, and Monster approaches Neil with barely contained excitement, sniffing at his face.   
Stuart already inhales to go on with his staged, rehearsed speech to ease Neil into this, but Andrew is faster.

“Are you visiting Bee, too?”, he asks while both him and Neil pet Monstertruck’s ears.

Neil looks up at Stuart, even more confused than before, and then asks, “Who’s Bee?”

Andrew points over his shoulder as casually as a four-year-old can. “She lives in there. I talk to her an’ play with her toys sometimes.”

Neil doesn’t say anything, just turns to look up at Stuart. 

“I’m pretty sure Bee would like to meet you, too.”, Elsa comments idly, digging through her purse casually. 

Before any of them can question that, the door behind Andrew and Elsa opens again and a plump, small woman emerges. She can’t be much older than Stuart, but her round figure and her calf-length skirt make her look about 40 and slightly matron-y. 

“Hello.”, she greets Neil (specifically Neil, Stuart notices). “You must be Neil, Andrew’s been telling me about you.” Andrew turns around to her, and Stuart thinks he can see the faint trace of a smile on the usually so private boy’s face. 

“Bee, can Neil play with your toys? He’s my friend.” 

A soft, friendly smile spreads over the psychiatrist’s face. “Of course, as long as that’s what you’d like, Neil. Would you like to come in?” Again, speaking directly to Neil.   
Neil looks up at this soft woman, and after a moment of hesitation, nods. 

“Alright, come on in, then, Neil. -Mister Hatford, I assume? You can come inside with us today.” As she speaks to Stuart, her soft voice has a more resolute tinge to it. 

“Uh, yes, thank you.” How long has it been since Stuart’s stuttered in front of someone? 

As Bee leads both Neil and Stuart into the room, Andrew waves and Elsa gives Stuart a very encouraging smile. 

 

Neil is very wary of Betsy Dobson as first, as he is of every new person he meets. But a toddler can only withstand so many stuffed animals and cute stickers he gets at the end of every session. 

Also, they meet up with Elsa and Andrew for ice cream after appointments whenever they’ve got the time, and that’s the best bribe for Neil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment to make a writer happy? :)


	5. Splish Splash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuuuuuuuuuuh I can't believe this is chapter Nr. 5 already. Woah.
> 
> Thank you all for your incredible support <3   
> This chapter is my personal favourite so far, so I really really hope you guys like it, too.
> 
> shoutout to noorasdandekar for those long ass comments that make my day every time!!!!!! thanks bby!

“Mommyyy?” 

Elsa knows this tone of voice. 

“Yes, Aaron?” 

They’re in Target, shopping for groceries. But of course, Target being Target, there’s much more than just groceries to discover for two four-year-olds.   
Right now, they’re standing in front of a cardboard box that clearly holds one of those blow-up pools for adults (which are only marginally bigger than kiddy pools). 

“Can we have this?”

Elsa pulls her cart back towards her sons.   
Aaron looks up at her with pleading brown puppy eyes while Andrew stands on his tip-toes to examine the picture on the box: a happy, weirdly handsome family bathing together.

“Hmm… that’s a bit big, boys.” Elsa leans to look at the picture, too, searching for size information on the package. 

“Please... “, Aaron whines. The twins still have to learn that saying ‘please’ won’t just get them anything they want. 

Elsa crouches down to the floor so she’s at the twins’ height. It’s summer, and hot out, and her and Oskar thought about getting the boys a little pool to splash around in anyways.  
“How about we get one that is more your size? This one if for adults, too. We can look for one that’s for kids, huh? So it’s just yours?” 

Aaron and Andrew exchange a glance. Sometimes, Elsa wonders if they’ve secretly mastered telepathy. They nod in unisono.

 

Two hours and several heaved-out lungs full of air later (their stupid air pump broke two minutes in), a dinosaur-patterned kiddie-pool has unfolded in their backyard. While Oskar is filling it with the garden hose, occasionally spritzing a too-hot and very curious Monstertruck, Elsa is trying to put sun screen on two very fidgety, excited small children, or trying to make them put it on themselves.   
She’s squeezed dollops of sun lotion into their respective palms. 

“Now, smear it… here… on your arms- yes, good job.” 

Aaron, highly concentrated, is rubbing the lotion over his tummy while Andrew dips one finger into it and then meticulously begins to draw lines on his arm with it. 

 

Both twins have scars. 

Elsa hates it, not because of how it looks, but because the thought of someone hurting her babies makes her despise the twins’ mother, that woman she’s never met, even more.   
There’s burn marks on both of them, looking like they were inflicted by cigarette butts. Which is bad enough, but by far not the worst.   
Andrew’s right shoulder and chest as well as parts of his right arm were scalded by hot water, leaving it discolored in patches. Right now, Andrew is tracing the outline of it with a sunscreen-lathered finger.  
Aaron, already done putting the lotion on, now turns around and skips over to Oskar to watch him fill the pool, and Elsa can see the deep pink, roped scar that sits on the back of Aaron’s calf. The caretakers at the home back when they adopted the twins told them it had been caused by a glass shard. 

“Help, please.” 

Andrew’s voice pulls Elsa out of her dark thoughts. 

He stands in front of her, holding out the bottle of sun lotion. She can see that he’s tried by himself already, but there’s still smudges along his legs. 

“Sure, sweetie.” Elsa takes the bottle from him. “Where do you need help?”

“Here.” Andrew points to his legs, “And my back.” 

“Alright. May I?” 

Andrew nods and then holds still as Elsa distributes some more lotion on the places where he told her to. She makes sure to be gentle, and massage his soft baby skin as she does it, and Andrew leans against her leg after a moment, just slightly. 

A rush of love overcomes Elsa. 

Andrew, contrary to his brother, still isn’t a child who likes to be cuddled a lot- he will occasionally seek it out, but by far not as much as Aaron- and more often than not, it’s Monster who’s on the other end of those snuggly advanced. Which is fine.  
But whenever he does things like this, Elsa’s heart melts a little. 

“Okay, all done, baby.” 

She wipes the residue lotion on her own legs, and then smiles at her son. “Ready for the pool?”

Andrew nods, and then a smile spreads on his face as he turns around to follow Aaron. 

 

“Mommy, look!” 

Water splashes, dousing the lawn, as Aaron jumps up and down in the pool. 

“Great, Aaron.”, Elsa comments, digging her toes into the wet earth of her garden as she watches her boys play.

“Boys, what do you think- does Mommy need watering? She looks a little wilted to me.”, Oskar grins, and he’s already pulling on the hose to get it closer to where Elsa sits.

“Yes!”, both boys immediately start cheering while Elsa, already laughing, jumps out of her chair in a half-hearted attempt to flee. 

“Don’t you dare!”, is the last thing she can yell at her mischievous husband before she’s doused in ice cold water that makes her yelp, dress sticking to her skin.   
A few minutes later, all five of them are properly soaked, dirty and laughing their hearts out.

 

When Nicky hears that his cousins have a pool, there’s no way he won’t come over, of course. 

The twins and Nicky are four years apart, and right now, they still play peacefully together. Elsa wonders when that’s going to change; her own sister is four years older than her and she distinctly remembers being declared “a baby” as soon as her sister entered puberty.

But that’s a problem for another day.

Nicky’s adoptive mother, Valentina, is a tiny, curvy woman who calls Nicky “Lindo” or “Guapo” and always smiles like she means it. Elsa likes her a lot.   
They chat, drinking lemonade, while the three boys splash each other, running and yelling.   
Next to tall, lanky Nicky, the twins look tiny and pudgy still, by far not grown out of their baby fat.

“Nicky’s hair is very cute.”, Elsa remarks; Nicky’s curls are usually long and wild, but today, they’re in a braid and he’s got a little bandana over them instead of a sun hat. 

“Yes, he saw that on tv and said ‘Tina, I wanna have hair like this!’, so we did it.”, Valentina chuckles. 

“That’s great, that you just let that decide for himself.”, Elsa smiles.

Valentina shrugs. “He’s got his own head. And I don’t care if people look at us weird when we’re in the store as long as he’s happy.”

Elsa nods; she knows all too well about dumb stares and unnecessary comments in public.

“Dios Mío!” Elsa startles a little at the way Valentina suddenly perks up, but when she sees the reason for it, she can’t keep the grin off her face. “Is that your neighbour? I’ve never seen him in person!” 

“Uh-huh.” Elsa simply nods in confirmation; what more’s there to say? Stuart’s just stepped out on the back porch in nothing but shorts and flip flops, and Elsa has got to admit… there’s worse views in the world. It basically speaks for itself. 

“Oooh mama.”, Valentina giggles, and Elsa can’t help but join her laughter. 

“Right? And he’s british, too.”

“The whole package.”

They can’t keep it together now, and their giggling is loud enough to catch Stuart’s attention. He looks over, a handsome smile on his face, waving as he goes to water his plants. 

Elsa cups her hands around her mouth and shouts “Hi-yo neighbour!”, making Valentina snort. “As you can see, we’re having a pool party here, maybe Neil wants to join?”

At the mention of Neil, Andrew perks up immediately- Elsa can see it out of the corner of her eye- and then comes slipping and sliding over the grass towards the fence. 

A few minutes later, a swimmy-diapered Neil is being lifted over the fence by two strong british arms. 

“Be good!”, Stuart calls after him, but Neil is already running to meet Andrew, so Stuart just shakes his head and waves to the two women. 

Andrew and Neil do their “thing”, their little greeting, which is neither a hug nor a high five; they’ll grab each others’ arms for a moment like “hey, I can feel you, you’re here”, and sometimes, Neil will push his hand into Andrew’s before they go off. 

“We’re playing ships!”, Aaron declares when Andrew’s pulled Neil all the way to the pool, Monstertruck jumping around them in joy. 

Aaron has needed some time to warm up to Neil, but he accepts him now. They’re by far not as close as Andrew and him are, but that’s okay for everyone involved.

“Here, you can have the red one.” Nicky graciously hands him the little toy boat that usually lives in the bathtub. 

“Look at our boys.”, Valentina sighs, her voice and smile fond. “All of them so happy and carefree.”

“Yeah…” Elsa’s nod is slow, thoughtful. It’s true. She doesn’t want to think about where the kids would be now, had they stayed with their biological parents. “...yeah.”

 

Later, when Aaron sits in her lap, wrapped in a towel, hair dripping onto her sundress, she makes sure to give him an extra kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment to make a writer happy? 
> 
> If you like what I do and are looking for ways to support me, come visit me on [Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com) :) <3


	6. An Important Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi cuties ♥ thank you so much for the amazing feedback for the last chapter. I feel overwhelmed with love and it makes me so happy that this fic makes so many of you smile.

“Say cheese!”

Oskar snaps the picture exactly when Aaron starts picking his nose and Andrew turns to the side to look at Neil, who is the only one standing straight and actually looking at the camera. All three of them are wearing their sunday best. Monster, who, according to Andrew, also had to be in the shot, even has a bow tie around her neck instead of her normal collar. 

“Attempt number how many is this, now?”, Stuart asks, tongue in cheek, looking up from his phone where he’s taken a picture of Neil. 

“I don’t remember. One of them will have to do.” 

“Dad, are we done now?”, Aaron asks, slumping a little. 

The twins are wearing nice jeans with suspenders and grey, clean t-shirts, their blond hair slicked down a little by a very ambitious Elsa. Oskar wonders how long it will take until the nice jeans and nice shirts are just as dirty as all the other clothes the twins own. Aaron already has a grass stain on his left knee.  
Today is the first day of pre-school. They’ve visited it already, met the caregivers, the other kids… it’s the same one Nicky went to, and his elementary school is next door. 

“Yeah, we’re done.”

“Where is mommy?!”, Aaron demands to know now. Andrew and Neil have found a ladybug in a flower bed next to them. Neil has caught it in his hand, and now they’re watching it crawl up his arm. 

“I’m here! I’m here baby.” Elsa comes hurrying out of the house; she’s wearing a sundress and nice shoes. Oskar can’t help but grin; they’re making such a big fuss out of the twins starting Kindergarten, how bad will it be when they’re going to start school? But he remembers how the lady at the home told them to start looking for special ed nurseries and schools in their area early on and that they shouldn’t be disappointed if the twins “never caught up on their developmental delays”. And then he’s pretty happy about making a big deal about this. 

 

The kids pile into the Minyards’ Subaru while Stuart follows in his Porsche.  
The school is only a 15-minute drive away. It looks really nice from the outside, brick walls surrounding the yard painted with rainbows and flowers.  
The three boys are unusually quiet in the back.

“Are you excited?”, Elsa asks as she’s turning into the parking lot. 

“Yessss!”, Aaron replies. 

Neil goes “Uh-huh.” and Andrew says nothing. 

Elsa and Oskar exchange a glance.  
Aaron has been excited for pre-school ever since he learned that he would get to learn about numbers and letters there. To Andrew, the only thing that matters seems to be that he’s going to attend pre-school with his brother and Neil. 

A dozen other cars are parked in the parking lot, and about three other families are still lingering, fixing bagpacks, consoling crying children, saying good-byes to little siblings for the day.  
They’ve already parked and are getting the kids out of the car when the Porsche whips into the parking space next to them.  
Neil gravitates towards Stuart the moment his uncle gets out of the car, and Stuart casually offers him a hand to hold on to. Neil’s tense posture eases as soon as his little hand is wrapped safely in Stuart’s big one. Aaron, too, grabs Elsa’s hand and starts pulling her towards the building excitedly, babbling on about all the toys he’s going to play with once they’re there. 

That leaves Andrew, who’s still hovering by the car, looking a little lost and eyeing the paintings on the wall. 

“Hey, buddy.”

Oskar squats in front of Andrew, bringing him to the same height as his son. 

Andrew slowly tears his eyes away from the cheery flower, and looks at Oskar. There’s always been something in Andrew’s eyes that speaks of all the things that go on in that smart little head of his, and right now, Oskar can see that there’s a lot going on. 

“Are you ready?” 

Oskar holds out a hand, offering. Andrew doesn’t take it, but it’s fine.  
Andrew doesn’t respond. 

“You know, you can play with Neil all day. And they have really cool books, and stuffies, and a jungle gym. And other kids you can meet and play with.”, Oskar bribes softly.  
Andrew still doesn’t look convinced. 

Luckily, Oskar and Elsa thought of a secret weapon for something like this. They’ve learned to be prepared for anything with the twins. 

“I have something for you.” 

Oskar gets up and goes back to the car. He opens the passenger door, and gets out a stuffed dog, one that looks exactly like Monstertruck. Turns out, you can order custom-made stuffies on the internet.  
Andrew’s face lights up a bit, and when Oskar crouches before him again and hands the toy to him, he clutches it to his chest. 

“I know you’re sad that you can’t take her with you, but maybe this will help.” When Oskar holds out his hand again, Andrew takes it. 

“Ready, pal?”, Oskar asks, about to stand back up.

But Andrew tugs on his hand, surprisingly hard for such a small human, and Oskar stays where he is.  
Andrew’s face changes, and Oskar knows that look- the one when Andrew is about to say something important. 

“Are you coming back for us later?”

Before Oskar can even think about how heart-wrenching the question is, he replies. “Yes, Andrew. Yes, of course. We’ll always come back for you.” 

A little bit of the scowl on Andrew’s face softens. 

“Promise, Andrew. When you need us, we’ll be here for you.” 

“And Aaron?”

“Of course. Always.” 

Andrew nods, once.  
Then he lets go off Oskar’s hand. 

“We can go.”, he says casually starting to walk towards the building, and doesn’t wait until Oskar catches up with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment to make a writer happy? :)
> 
> [My Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com)  
> ♥


	7. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all again for your amazing feedback ♥ Wow, I did not expect this to blow up like it did!
> 
> atm, it's summer flu time at my workplace which means we have at least one child with a fever every week, and that might have inspired this chapter ;) enjoy!
> 
> As you can see, this fic has a chapter count now. However, that doesn't mean it's over after those 11 chapters- it means a new era is going to start. I'm going to make this into a series! yay! :)

When Aaron crawls into her bed at night, Elsa knows something is wrong. 

When he pushes the covers aside, and then snuggles up to her, pressing his little body against her, she can feel how he’s glowing with fever.  
She wraps her arms around him, feeling his forehead. He’s burning up, and she’s suddenly wide awake.  
Reaching backwards, she shakes Oskar awake. 

As Elsa holds Aaron close, Oskar groggily gets up, patting over into the nursery on his bare feet, wiping sleep from his eyes. 

Andrew’s still in bed, and Monster is beside him. Usually, she sleeps on the floor in front of the twins’ bed, but now, she’s draped over Aaron’s deserted covers, her head shoved into the crook of Andrew’s neck. One of his small hands fists the fur on the back of her neck, holding on to her. 

Oskar gently approaches them, craning his neck, trying to get a proper look at Andrew. He switches on the twin’s night light, formed like a star, to illuminate the scene.  
Monster’s twitching ears are the only sign she knows he’s there. She’s not letting go off her Andrew.  
Only when Oskar carefully leans over the bed to touch Andrew’s forehead, she looks up. Oskar puts his other hand behind her ear and scratches. “Good girl.”  
Andrew, too, is glowing. His cheeks are strawberry-colored and his skin is scalding hot against Oskar’s palm. He mewls in his sleep, little hand gripping Monstertruck’s fur harder.

“Andrew.”, Oskar quietly says, leaning over him, trying to think of a way to scoop him into his arms as gently as possible, “...sweetheart…”

Slowly, Andrew’s brown eyes blink open, and they’re glassy and rimmed red.  
There isn’t a moment of hesitation when he shakily lifts his arms, reaching for Oskar. 

 

Oskar carries him back into the bedroom, followed by Monster padding after him. Meanwhile, Elsa has rolled onto her back, Aaron sprawled on top of her, his little feverish head on her chest, hand clasping her nightshirt. 

Oskar, Andrew still perched on his arm, hanging on to his neck, gets the fever thermometer from the bathroom. 

 

Turns out it’s Scarlet fever. 

Oskar sits in the waiting room at the pediatrician’s office first thing the next morning, both twins in his lap, each of them clutching one of his hands and each others’.  
Aaron, probably the only child who’s usually thrilled to go to the doctor’s, can barely keep his eyes open. Only the lollies they get in the end seem to wake them up a little.  
The doctor, a soft-faced woman with butterfly clips in her hair, assures Oskar the twins will be fine once the penicillin starts doing its thing. 

 

On the way home, both of them fall asleep in their car seats. 

 

Elsa calls Stuart in the afternoon to let him know the twins have come down with illness. 

“Scarlet fever. They’re pretty all-in.” She peers through the doorway of the living room where the twins are curled up on the sofa, Monster in between them, watching cartoons with glassy eyes. 

“Oh no, poor boys. I suspected that something was wrong when the kindergarten called me to get Neil early this morning. Apparently he absolutely refuses to go when Andrew isn’t there.” There’s clattering in the background. Elsa suspects Stuart is making tea. 

“They called you?!”

“Yeah, said he was throwing a really bad fit. Now he’s been standing at the window for twenty minutes looking over to your house longingly.”

“Aw.” Elsa can imagine little Neil like that, mostly because Andrew’s done that before whenever Neil couldn’t come out to play. An idea pops up in her head. 

“Maybe we could let them phone?” 

“Uh, sure.” More rustling, and then Elsa hears Stuart call for Neil. She holds the phone away from her ear. 

“Andrew, Neil’s on the phone.” Has she ever seen Andrew perk up like that before? He sits upright, trying to blink away the grogginess, and then holds out both hands in her direction, a silent acceptance of the phone.

Elsa puts it on speaker. “Say hello to Andrew!”, she hears Stuart urge, and then a tiny “Hello, Dwew…?”. 

Andrew stares at the phone with his little eyebrows furrowed deeply for a moment, but eventually says “Hello, Neil.”

“Can you come play?”

“Nuh-uh…” Andrew shakes his head, “I have- mommy, what’s it called?”

“Scarlet fever.”, Elsa chimes in gently. 

Neil is silent for a second.  
“That’s stupid!” He says it with such utmost contempt that Elsa can’t help but laugh.

“Yeeeeeah…”, Andrew replies, “...but… we get to watch cartoons.”

Another pause, this time more thoughtful. Elsa can hear Stuart snicker in the background. 

None of them says anything, and a, by adult standards, awkward pause develops before Neil says: “Okay, bye Dwew.”

“Bye Neil.” 

 

Later, when they’re all curled up on the sofa together, eating chicken soup, Andrew asks: “Can I phone with Neil again tomorrow?”  
“Yeah, of course, love.”, Elsa replies and lets Aaron drape her arm around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment to make a writer happy? :)
> 
> [My Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com)  
> ♥


	8. Rules and Role Models

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys <3 I'm with family this week so I have to post from my phone. Please forgive any mistakes! Also I can't link to my tumblr, so if you're interested in following me or talking to me, please see at the end of last week's chapter!
> 
> Thank you again for the overwhelming support. I try to answer all of your comments, but there are just so many of them, so please forgive me if you haven't gotten an answer yet! This chapter is about some of the daily troubles of life with kids :) enjoy!

Pitter-patter-pitter-patter.

 

Giggling. Some rustling.

 

(Elsa puts down her book and narrows her eyes)

 

THUMP!

 

(Oskar catches her eyes. They engage in a silent “You go look.”-”No, you go look!”)

 

THU-THUMP

 

A little voice rises quickly, getting louder and louder, screaming while a second little voice joins in.   
Monstertruck shoots up from the couch and rushes towards the hallway where the commotion comes from. Maybe they should just let her handle this. 

 

“MOOOOOOOMMYYY!!!”, followed by a deep bark.

Oskar can’t help but laugh when Elsa lets out a deep sigh, hoisting herself up from her comfortable position on the sofa. She mouths a swear word to her husband who just winks at her and smirks.   
In the hallway, she finds the twins tangled on the carpet, “their” carpet, which is basically their wrestling arena.

Monster runs around the pile of limbs frantically, tail wagging, not knowing what to do; she looks up at Elsa like “thank god you’re here now, control our children”. 

“What happened?”, Elsa asks sternly, hands on her hips; sometimes, a scolding has to be. Both twins look a little distressed, but neither of them will let go; Andrew is clutching Aaron’s shirt and Aaron has got his hands tangled in Andrew’s hair. Andrew has Aaron pinned down on the floor though, and Aaron doesn’t stand a chance; Andrew is usually the stronger one of them. 

“Andrew is being unfair!”, Aaron complains, voice high-pitched like he is about to cry. 

“Nuh-uh, I’m stronger than you!”, Andrew yells back. 

“Enough.”, Elsa says, again sternly, and gives both boys a strict look. “Let go, both of you.”

The twins brawling used to worry her when they started doing it, because it’s ended with scratches and crying before, and it does look a little dangerous when they’re rolling around on that carpet wrestling. 

But Doctor Dobson says it’s normal, especially for boys, and that it might actually help them realize their strength. “It might also be a substitute for cuddling sometimes. Like love-bites.”, she explained to Elsa. And yeah, it makes sense. 

Right now, they’re untangling until they’re sitting on the carpet next to each other, Aaron looking angry, his cheeks red, and Andrew looking mildly bored and on the verge of an eyeroll. How can such a tiny body contain this much attitude.

Elsa crouches down in front of them. 

“I want both of you to take some care when you’re wrestling. Andrew- you’re stronger than Aaron, but that doesn’t mean you need to hurt him on purpose. It’s not nice. And Aaron- you can just tell your brother no, okay?” 

No is their “safeword”- they’ve agreed that if one of them uses it, the other one needs to stop. 

Both of them huff, and it’s so identical that Elsa has to keep her laughter back by sheer force of will. 

“Aaaaalright.”, Aaron eventually sighs, and wow, talk about attitude. 

“I’m being serious, boys, I don’t want you to hurt each other.”, Elsa adds.   
Monster is checking both of her boys out by now, sniffing at them and eventually licking Andrew’s cheek. 

“We know, Mom.” Andrew sounds just as exasperated as his brother.   
Both of them are slumping and for a second, Elsa can really imagine how they’ll be as teenagers. 

Before anymore bad ideas can form, she suggests: “Why don’t you go find your Dad and ask if he’ll go to the playground with you?” 

She says it loud enough that Oskar can hear in the living room, and she thinks she can hear a sigh. 

 

-

 

“Fuck!” 

Stuart shoots out of the kitchen. “What the h- ..heck did you just say, Neil?!”

Neil looks up at him, a picture of innocence before him, wooden blocks in hand. He blinks at his uncle with big ocean eyes. 

“Neil…”, Stuart repeats a little threateningly. 

“Fuck?”, Neil says again, this time a little more timid.   
“Where did you learn that?” Stuart approaches Neil and crouches down in front of him so he’s not hovering over him, because that makes Neil pull up his shoulders and avoid eye-contact.

“Hm?”, he prompts again, a little more gentle. Probably in Kindergarten; kids learn that kind of stuff in kindy, right?

“From you.”, Neil says, and Stuart blanches for a moment. Oh, shit. 

“You say it when you drop things or when you’re angry sometimes.”, Neil explains, and then, “And I was angry because my tower fell!” He gestures to the blocks in front of him. 

Stuart can’t help but admire his nephew’s eloquence.   
“It’s kind of a bad word, Neil.”, he starts explaining hesistantly; “You know, it’s… an adult word.”

Now Neil’s expression shifts from timid to confused. “That’s stupid.”

“It is, though, Neil. And people don’t like hearing kids say it.” 

Neil only looks more confused now. “Why?”

“Because…” Who knew it would be so stressful to explain swear words to a child? Stuart can feel sweat gather on his back, “...it means to, uh… make a baby.”

Now Neil looks at him in bewilderment; after a pause, he says “That’s really stupid.”

“Yeah right?”, Stuart quickly swoops in, “It’s a stupid word. No need to say it. You can say, uh, frick instead. Or fudge.”

Neil considers this for a moment, and then simply says “Okay.” 

“Okay. Alright, buddy.” Stuart stands a little awkwardly. Neil has gone back to playing. 

Stuart wipes his forehead. He needs some tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think? :)


	9. Fingertips and Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm 99% sure this chapter will obliterate many of you from cuteness.
> 
> It's my second favourite chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy it just as much. I had a lot of fun and fuzzy feels writing it. Intimacy, cuddling and touching is a big part of a healthy family life, and that's the topic of this chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you again for your many lovely, encouraging and wonderful comments, each and everyone of them made me smile. ♥
> 
> (also, I want to personally thank whoever created Peppa Pig)

“Oh, yeah, harder, Ellie…”

“I’m already doing it as hard as I can, Oz…”

“Then go, like, deeper.”

“I’m gonna break my fingers if I do that!”

Elsa hits a spot and Oskar moans, slumping. 

“Daddy?”, a little voice asks from the living room. A moment later, two blond heads peek around the corner, already combed and ready for bed after one last episode of cartoons. 

“What’re you two doing?”, Andrew asks in bewilderment. 

“I’m giving Daddy a massage.”, Elsa explains while digging her thumb into a tense spot on her husband’s shoulder. 

The twins frown in unisono. “Why?”

“Cause I’ve been carrying you two around too much and you’re getting heavy.”, Oskar grunts, leaning into Elsa’s hands. 

More frowning. 

Elsa finishes the massage with an audience, and then leans down to press a kiss to Oskar’s forehead. 

Aaron immediately shoots forward and palms at her leg.  
He sometimes can’t deal so well with mommy and daddy kissing or cuddling, and gets a tad bit jealous, and a tad bit possessive. It’s a little cute, and mostly harmless. Elsa reaches down to pat his hair. 

“Mommy, kiss…”, he pleads, puppy eyes giving a hundred percent. She kneels and opens her arms for him, hugging him and pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Here you are.” When she stands again after a minute, Aaron still clings to her leg, pressing kisses to the outside of her thigh.

Andrew, meanwhile, has thrown himself at Oskar, hanging over his leg casually, and Oskar is drumming out a rhythm on his back. 

Elsa puts a hand on her husband’s shoulder and he grabs it with one of his, turns it palm up and presses a kiss to her inner wrist which makes tingles travel up her arm. 

Intimacy is a little difficult with two little children, but they manage. Oftentimes, the “double Q”, as they have come to call it, is the key: quiet & quick. 

“It’s past your bedtime already, boys.”, Oskar remarks, and Elsa squeezes his shoulder a little. 

“It’s nooooot.”, Andrew complains half-heartedly, suppressing a yawn by smushing his face into Oskar’s knee. 

“One last Peppa Pig Story.”, Elsa offers, gently smoothing down Aaron’s already smooth hair. 

 

A few minutes later, they’re in bed, the twins in the middle of their makeshift double bed, Oskar on one side and Elsa on the other Monstertruck sprawled out on the carpet.  
Oskar is reading from the Peppa Pig book while Elsa watches their sons’ eyelids get more and more droopy. 

They don’t do this a lot, all four of them together, but whenever there’s time, on weekends, like today, they make sure to put the twins to bed together.

“...good night Peppa, good night, George, says Daddy Pig and turns off the light.”, Oskar finishes and puts the book down gently. 

“Good night George…”, Andrew repeats softly, pulling his stuffed dog close to his face and reaching out for Elsa’s hand with the other. He takes it and puts it against his cheek.  
“...and good night Andrew and good night Aaron.”, Elsa adds gently, rubbing her thumb over Andrew’s cheekbone. 

Aaron lies on his back, slowly blinking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. 

“You sleepy, squirt?”, Oskar asks. 

Aaron slowly shakes his head, clearly more than tired but not wanting to admit it.

“Which part of you doesn’t what to sleep?”, Oskar asks again. Elsa smiles at them from the other side of the bed.

“Myyy…. tummy.”, Aaron replies, head turning over to Oskar.

“Does it need to be kissed good-night?”, Oskar suggests. Aaron thinks for a moment, then nods. 

Oskar smiles at him (Elsa can feel her heart grow ten sizes) and then dips his head down to blow gentle raspberries on Aaron’s tummy before pressing a kiss to it. 

“Good-night, tummy.”

Aaron giggles softly, smushing Brian the Lion into his face.

“Daddy, my hands aren’t tired.”

Oskar laughs, and then presses kisses to Aaron’s hands. And his arms. And his cheeks, and his nose.  
He caresses Aaron’s nose after leaving the kiss there, “rubbing it in so we can be sure that it stays there aaaaaall night”, and that makes Aaron’s eyelids droop again until they finally shut and his breathing evens out. 

Andrew is fast asleep, too, head snuggled between Elsa’s breasts, her hand still on his cheek. 

Slowly and quietly, both parents untangle themselves from their sons and tip-toe out of the nursery.

In the hallway, Elsa slumps against the wall. 

“I swear, my ovaries were going to explode any minute.”

Oskar laughs softly and reaches out for her, pulling her against him. Under the smell of children’s shampoo and dinner and laundry detergent, he still smells just like when they met. It reminds her of drunk night-dates in college, their first apartment and their wedding. Elsa buries her face in his shoulder and then tips her head up to kiss him. 

“May I make it up to your ovaries?”, he asks, bowing his head to kiss her shoulder.

“Eugh, don’t make it weird.”  
But she laughs when she says it and then they kiss again, and eventually, Oskar hoists her up while Elsa wraps her legs around him. 

 

Luckily, their bedroom is all the way down the hallway from the twins room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can yell at me in the comment section ;)
> 
>  
> 
> follow me on [Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com) :)


	10. Epilogue: Parent-Teacher Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it for now, friends.  
> The first part of this series is complete. I've been asked if there will be a delay in between this and the next part, and I've been very indeceisive about it for a long time. However, I think I've found a good solution: I will be posting little extras to The Kids Are Alright (Now), scenes that didn't make it into the main story or were just too short to stand as a chapter on their own. 
> 
> Again, I want to thank all of you for your amazing support. Your comments and kudos and coffees have helped me to finish this, and keep me motivated to go on. 
> 
> EDIT: psst.... it's a series now, check it out!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this last little chapter. ♥

They get an invitation for a private parent-teacher meeting, and frankly, Elsa is a little surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.

The kindergarten’s mostly really great, and both twins love going, but they (and Neil) are nearing pre-school and recently, there have been more and more complaints about Andrew acting a little rowdy around other children.  
The twins are staying with Nicky and his parents for the evening, and as soon as Arielle the Little Mermaid is on TV, they forget all about missing their parents. 

“I wonder what they’re gonna tell us.” Elsa smoothes her blouse in the car. She can’t deny that she’s a little nervous. Her kids are great, and she likes to think of herself as a good mother- she tries hard, after all, and Oskar is a great dad, but… there’s always this underlying fear of being judged, doing something wrong, proving that they shouldn’t have adopted after all, maybe there’s a reason you couldn’t have you own kids? 

Oskar’s hand on her thigh pulls her out of those dark thoughts. 

“We’ll see, darling. Relax, it’s gonna be fine.” 

She leans over and presses a kiss to his shoulder. 

 

The teacher, Miss Amari, is a pretty young lady with an elegant green headscarf and a warm smile. 

“No need to be nervous, Mrs Minyard.”, she tells Elsa when they sit down in her office. Elsa gives her a shaky smile and smoothes her blouse again. Maybe they should have taken Monster, she always manages to calm everyone down.

“So.”, Miss Amari says, looking down to her documents, “the twins. First of all, how are you doing at home?” 

Soon, they’re deep in conversation, and Elsa’s nerves ease a little.  
Miss Amari leads them through the different stages of development, showing them where the twins caught up well, where they still need a little bit of help and what they’re good at.

“Their social skills have really improved.”, Miss Amari explains, turning the screen of her computer to show them a picture of both twins on a big, street-patterned carpet, playing with cars, other kids all around them. “Aaron actually seeks out other children and we’ve noticed that he will increasingly ask them to play with him.” 

She clicks, and another picture, this time of Aaron playing on the jungle gym with a little girl. “He’s doing great.” She clicks on, and there’s another picture of Aaron, a picture book in his lap, pretending to read to two other children. Elsa and Oskar can’t help but laugh. “Yes, that’s very him.”

“Right?” Miss Amari gives them an encouraging smile.  
The next picture she shows them is one of Andrew. It’s him and Neil at the lunch table, holding hands while eating. 

“Aw…”, Elsa cooes.

“Adorable.”, Miss Amari comments lovingly, “Andrew, other than Aaron, still mostly sticks to Neil. They really are best friends. It’s quite rare to see a friendship this intense in kids that age. Usually, they do have their preferences, but they’ll fluctuate a little more.”

“Andrew and Neil are really close. Outside of Aaron and our dog, he’s Andrew’s only friend, really.”, Oskar explains. Miss Amari nods.  
“It’s lovely that he’s got this deep friendship, however…” 

Elsa braces herself for something negative-

“...Andrew is really possessive over Neil. We don’t feel like Neil minds that, he’s fine with staying with Andrew, but it leads to conflicts sometimes when other kids approach Neil. Andrew will shove and sometimes hit other kids when they take away ‘his’ Neil.” Miss Amari looks between the two of them. 

Elsa is already opening her mouth to defend her son, when the teacher speaks up again.

“We don’t think he means to cause any harm- Andrew sometimes doesn’t know his strength- and he does listen to us when we tell him to stop, which is good.”

Elsa relaxes a little when she hears that; Oskar grabs her hand under the table.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now”, Miss Amari admits, “...I love that you have the dog- Monster, right? Andrew sometimes tells us about it. But I think he might really profit from an activity that motivates him to socialize with other kids more?”

Both Oskar and Elsa nod; this isn’t news to them; Andrew has got a lot of energy and sometimes doesn’t know how to use it properly, and he often needs a little push to talk to other kids. 

“Have you ever thought about letting him start some kind of physical activity? Sports?”

Oskar and Elsa look at each other. “We’ve talked about it with Andrew’s therapist.”, Oskar explains. Elsa nods along.  
“Does she support the idea?”

“Yes, she thinks it might be really beneficial for him… Aaron, too.” 

“Great!”, Miss Amari beams. She reaches into her desk and takes out some colorful pamphlets with smiling children on them. “These are different team sports and parent-child activity courses. Maybe you wanna have a look?”

“Yes, sure! Thank you.” Oskar reaches across the table and takes them; Elsa peers over at them as he spreads them out on their side of the table. There's soccer and gymnastics and horseback riding and, and, and. They take her time to leaf through them.

 

“What’s Exy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what you think? :)
> 
> If you're looking for more ways to support me, you can visit my [Tumblr](marmelade-sky.tumblr.com)


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